Portsmouth

The South Coast derby is back and it's Portsmouth's time to host as they welcome Southampton to Fratton Park on Sunday (12:00 GMT).

September's clash between the two sides ended in a goalless stalemate but both sides now find themselves in a situation that will require more than just a wish for bragging rights.

The Saints' hopes of play-offs are dwindling with seven points worth of ground to make up, while Pompey are just one point above the relegation line as it stands and firmly in the mix for a return to League One.

• This will be the first time that Portsmouth have hosted Southampton at Fratton Park in league action since a 1-1 draw in December 2011. Overall, Pompey are unbeaten across their last four on home soil against the Saints (W2 D2).

• Southampton are winless across their last four league meetings with Portsmouth (D3 L1), never before have they gone five without win against their South-coast rivals in the Football League.

• Portsmouth have won three of their last five home games (D1 L1), and are looking to win consecutively at Fratton Park for the first time since February/March last year (a run of three).

• After winning their first two away league games under Tonda Eckert, Southampton are now winless in their last five on the road (D1 L4).

• Southampton have conceded in each of their last 24 away league games, their longest run without a clean sheet since a run of 50 between March 1962 and September 1964.

Image source, Rex Features

Portsmouth head coach John Mousinho has said that he will wait for more tests on the extent of Conor Shaughnessy's injury, which is feared to be significant.

The central defender was not part of Pompey's squad that faced Watford on Wednesday night after picking up a quad injury, and initial scans indicated a grade-three tear.

"It's a really strange one because he finished the game [at Sheffield Wednesday], and slightly felt his quad, but on the scan it looks like it's something more serious," Mousinho said after their midweek draw at Vicarage Road.

"We're just waiting to get a second opinion because Shaughs still feels OK, he still feels a bit of tightness there.

"The initial prognosis from the scan isn't great, so we're just going to have to wait and see on that."

Shaughnessy had only just returned to Mousinho's side after missing part of the season with a hamstring issue, with the defender limited to only nine appearances in the league so far this season.

"I think the best case would be that the [initial] scan's over-reported and we're looking at, sort of, a muscular tear, but it's maybe four to six weeks," Mousinho added on Thursday morning.

"Then the worst is probably what it has reported and we're looking at about 12 weeks."

Andrew Moon
BBC Radio Solent's Portsmouth commentator

Image source, Shutterstock

Wednesday night was another spirited performance from Portsmouth as they earned a draw at Vicarage Road.

They largely nullified Watford's attack while posing an occasional threat at the other end.

It was notable, on the day it emerged defender Conor Shaughnessy has suffered another potentially bad injury, that Regan Poole and Connor Ogilvie played so well in the heart of the defence.

But it does not change the fact that Pompey need a centre-half urgently.

Another good finish from Adrian Segecic was pleasing to see as was a perfectly-weighted pass from Conor Chaplin - his future should be resolved shortly.

This Pompey side keep battling. There were some tired bodies at the end of the match who will be relieved the South Coast derby is not until Sunday.

Further reinforcements are urgently needed although Ebou Adams and Millenic Alli have already made very positive contributions.

Portsmouth boss John Mousinho spoke to BBC Radio Solent after their draw at Watford.

"A superb performance. If you'd offered me a point before the game I would have taken it, but I think we should have won the game," he said.

"A little bit bittersweet, but I thought on the night - fantastic - and the lads can really build on that.

"Tonight was about coming away from home and making sure we performed, we are extremely thin on the ground at the minute, but we did that and the performance from the entire squad was excellent."

Image source, Shutterstock

All English Football League games across a four-day period in February will begin one minute late to raise awareness for the Every Minute Matters campaign.

The initiative will be in place for 36 matches across the Championship, League One and League Two between 5 and 9 February.

EFL sponsor Sky Bet and the British Heart Foundation (BHF) have been working together since May 2024 to highlight the importance of speed when it comes to performing live-saving CPR.

Later kick-off times will serve as "a stark reminder that every minute matters", the EFL said.

Bristol Rovers defender Tom Lockyer collapsed while playing for Luton Town eight minutes into the Championship play-off final against Coventry in May 2023.

Lockyer then suffered a cardiac arrest on the pitch seven months later during a Premier League game at Bournemouth.

"What happened to me can happen to anyone, anywhere, at any time," said Lockyer, who is now a BHF ambassador.

"Every year, more than 40,000 people in the UK suffer an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and most of them never make it home.

"I'm here today because of the transformative power of CPR as every minute matters when it comes to saving a life.

"This February, we want everyone to get behind this life-saving initiative, learn the skills and be ready to step in because your actions could give someone else the chance I was given."

Throughout February, the Every Minute Matters campaign will call on fans to learn CPR using the BHF's online RevivR, external tool.

"Each minute without CPR reduces a person's chance of survival, so we're urging fans to learn the skills now, before you ever need them," said Dr Charmaine Griffiths, chief executive of the BHF.

EFL chief executive officer Trevor Birch added: "The one minute kick-off adjustment is a simple, powerful reminder that swift CPR can be the difference between life and death."

Preston North End remain keen on signing Portsmouth forward Callum Lang after failing with a £2m bid in the summer transfer window. (Lancashire Post), external

Read all the latest EFL transfer rumours in Wednesday's gossip column here.

Portsmouth midfielder Ebou Adams says is excited to be able to 'enjoy his football again' following his move from Derby County.

The 30-year-old left the Rams to join Pompey last week, in a reported £500,000 deal.

"I'm glad to be able to sign for the club. It has been an eventful few days, hopefully now I can settle down and enjoy my football again," he told BBC Radio Solent.

"There has been interest for a while but things went another way. It was nice to know they (Portsmouth) were still interested in me and I'm happy that they got the deal over the line, now I can enjoy myself.

"I kind of had a feeling I was going to be moving on, it was just about which club, and Portsmouth was the most appealing to me - you know they wanted me and I wanted them."

The Gambia international spent nearly two years at Pride Park, making more than 60 appearances for the East Midlands club.

"I loved every single minute at Derby, I made some great memories and I thoroughly enjoyed it," he said.

"I wish them nothing but the best but I am here now and I'm looking to make great memories at Portsmouth.

"It is the atmosphere at Pompey that I have enjoyed playing when there in the past. I have had some good, tight games there in the past and now I am on the blue side, so it will be really nice."

Listen to Adams' full interview and more Portsmouth content on BBC Sounds.

Image source, Opta

Portsmouth will seek to put space between themselves and the drop-zone when they head to Watford on Wednesday (19:45 GMT).

The Hornets are eighth, two points outside the play-off places after seeing their four-match winning streak ended by a 2-0 defeat to Millwall at Vicarage Road on Saturday. It was the first time in 17 games in all competitions in which they failed to score.

Pompey ended a 10-match winless away run with a 1-0 success at Sheffield Wednesday but will be seeking back-to-back wins for the first time this season.

• Watford are unbeaten in eight home league games against Portsmouth (W5 D3), winning the past four in a row.

• Portsmouth drew 2-2 with Watford in October, but these two sides haven't drawn both league meetings in a season since 1987/88.

• Watford are unbeaten in their past eight midweek (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) league games (W4 D4) since a 0-4 defeat to Leeds United in February 2025.

• Portsmouth have lost 10 of their past 11 away league matches played in midweek (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday), losing the last nine in a row since a 2-2 draw at Oxford United in January 2024.

• Portsmouth have only won one of their past 26 away games in the second tier against sides whose name begins with 'W' (D12 L13), beating Walsall 2-1 in April 2003.

Portsmouth host Watford in the Championship on Wednesday night but there is already half an eye on the first south coast derby in a league fixture at Fratton Park since December 2011 on Sunday.

Pompey and Southampton played out a goalless draw at St Mary's in September but legendary commentator - and Portsmouth fan - Ian Darke believes John Mousinho's side can go one better.

"I think it's a very winnable game because I think Southampton have got something fragile about them at the moment," Darke told BBC Radio Solent's Who Needs Mourinho? podcast.

"They should be up near the top of the table but they're not. They had a little bit of a revival but they seem to have gone back to their old ways.

"I think Pompey, with that crazy atmosphere there is going to be at Fratton Park, could well give them a lot of problems.

"It's a fantastic day to have the south coast derby back at Pompey."

You can hear more from Darke as he joins presenters Chris Wise and Andrew Moon on the latest episode of Who Needs Mourinho?

Listen to the full show on BBC Sounds as the panel also discuss the win at Sheffield Wednesday and the January transfer window.

Portsmouth have seen a six-figure bid for highly-rated Dundee defender Luke Graham, 21, rejected by the Scottish club. (Daily Record), external

Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Monday's gossip column here.

Tom Chappell
Fan writer

Image source, Shutterstock

There was only ever going to be one acceptable outcome from Saturday afternoon - win at all costs. Thankfully, that's exactly what we got.

The 161-day wait for an away win since Oxford on the opening day wore heavy on the pre-match faces of all 1,500 Pompey fans who'd travelled to Hillsborough.

You could really feel that the pressure was on, and other than freshly faced Millenic Alli, there was very little to talk about at the half-time interval. It was an incredibly low quality opening 45 and, quite frankly, a pretty poor excuse for a game of football between two struggling sides.

After the break, Pompey were much better but could've hardly been worse. Ebou Adams' introduction was incredibly welcome to the travelling faithful. For me, Pompey looked a noticeably better outfit once he was on the pitch.

The goal itself was actually quite the spectacle - Conor Shaughnessy's self-bestowed licence to progress forward followed by a wicked Alli cross, met by the arriving Adrian Segecic behind Colby Bishop.

Charlton's last-minute mayhem aside, I can hardly think of a game this season in which I've wanted us to score more than at Hillsborough on Saturday, nor can I think of a goal that we've celebrated more.

There was a genuine feeling that if Pompey were to lose this game, that would probably be us down. With that in mind, it's a seismic victory which once again drags us a notch outside the relegation zone.

What is perhaps most imperative is we cannot now go another 161 days for a victory on our travels. Pompey's away form must improve as of now and Saturday has got to be the catalyst.

Performance-wise we will have to be so much better and there is still such a sizeable road ahead.

Six more wins and Pompey will live to fight another season of Championship football.

Find more from Tom at the Fournilwrittenalloverit, external YouTube channel

Andrew Moon
BBC Radio Solent's Portsmouth commentator

Image source, Shutterstock

That match will not live long in the memory. I've already tried to forget most of it and I sympathise with those who have to watch it back for analysis purposes.

But it doesn't matter. All that was relevant for Pompey was getting three points and they found a way.

John Mousinho admitted it was a poor first half but once they took the lead after the break they never looked like relinquishing it.

New signings Millenic Alli and Ebou Adams both showed signs of promise. Adams will surely start the next match.

Portsmouth still need further signings. They'll need to play better than this but it's now 11 points from the past six matches. They keep fighting and continue to remain above the dotted line.

Image source, Getty Images

Portsmouth manager John Mousinho admitted the result was what really mattered as they beat Sheffield Wednesday 1-0 at Hillsborough.

Victory was their first in 2026 and eases relegation fears, while also avenging a loss to the Owls earlier in the campaign.

"This is not an easy place to come and It was a difficult fixture for us to come and face and deal with, it was just a case of making sure we came away from here with three points," Mousinho told BBC Radio Solent.

"We looked a bit better in the second half but I still think we could do better, we're just waiting for some of our attacking presence to come back."

Mousinho praised goalscorer Adrien Segecic's performance but said he wanted his side to push on for a second goal which never came.

"It was a great finish by Segs (Segecic) who was playing out of position but he took his chance when it came to him, it was one of his better games for us.

"I felt confident but I never felt comfortable but we completely controlled the game after we scored, I was hoping we could get the second but we weren't able to today."

Portsmouth have agreed a fee of £500k for Derby County's Gambian midfielder Ebou Adams, 30. (The News, external)

Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Friday's gossip column here.

Image source, Opta

Sheffield Wednesday will seek to compete an unlikely Championship double when Portsmouth head to Hillsborough on Saturday (15:00 GMT).

The rock-bottom Owls have won just once this season, 2-0 at Fratton Park in September.

Their points deduction and negative goal difference means they are effectively 33 points from safety, with 21st-placed Pompey the side they are chasing.

The Blues have taken one point from their past six on the road, losing without scoring on four of those occasions.

• Sheffield Wednesday are unbeaten in their past eight league games against Portsmouth (W5 D3) since losing 3-1 in November 2002.

• Portsmouth have lost on one of their past six league visits to Sheffield Wednesday (W2 D3), losing 4-1 in League One in April 2022.

• Sheffield Wednesday have won one of their past 27 league games (D10 L16) but that win was against Portsmouth earlier this season. The last time a second tier side's first two wins in a season were against the same opponent was in 1974/75, two wins for Portsmouth against Nottingham Forest.

• Portsmouth have conceded 15 goals from set pieces in the Championship this season – the only side to concede more is Sheffield Wednesday (17). All four goals they shipped against Arsenal in their FA Cup third round defeat were also via set pieces.

• Sheffield Wednesday have gone 19 consecutive Championship matches without a win. In second tier history, the only sides to go 20+ games without a win in a season are Darwen in 1898-99 (27), Barnsley in 1952-53 (23), Cambridge United in 1983-84 (31) and Rotherham in 2004-05 (20).